Deena Aboul-Hassan
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Rachel Bergmans
Co-Presenter:
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Anesthesiology, Chronic Pain & Fatigue Research Center / Medicine
Presentation Date: April 20
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: Session 5 – 3:40pm – 4:30 pm
Room: League Ballroom
Authors:
Presenter: 63
Abstract
An emerging public health problem is PASC (post-acute sequalea of SARS-CoV-2 infection), also known as long COVID and long haulers syndrome. PASC refers to a host of lingering cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, psychiatric, dermatological, and sensory problems following COVID-19 infection. Racial inequities are associated with the pandemic pandemic, encompassing infection rates, proportion of severe cases, mortality, health care access, and vaccination, with Black communities bearing an especially heavy burden. Prioritizing patient experiences and patient-engaged approaches may be particularly important for addressing health disparities that have been a key feature of the COVID pandemic. Benefits of patient-engaged approaches include building on existing community resources; tailor study outcomes to include those that are meaningful to patient quality of life (e.g., well-being in addition to pathology); increasing patient engagement and retention; and improving the uptake and acceptability of targeted interventions. Without adequate consideration of local context or community member endorsement, PASC research and subsequent interventions could unintentionally exacerbate health disparities. This study aims to characterize the experience of living with long COVID and COVID vaccine perceptions among Black patients with long COVID, and to identify opportunities to improve equity in long COVID care. We conducted semi-structured, race-concordant interviews over Zoom with 15 adults who identify as Black or African American and reported lingering physical or mental health effects following acute COVID infection. We transcribed and anonymized the recorded interviews prior to analysis. We implemented an inductive, thematic analysis to identify factors that influence COVID vaccine perceptions and the decision to get vaccinated. Preliminary findings indicate that a number of factors influence vaccine perceptions and the decision to get vaccinated among Black adults with long COVID, including their long COVID status. Results may inform public health policies and health promotion strategies to reduce inequities in vaccine access and uptake.
Biomedical Sciences, Interdisciplinary, Social Sciences
